The Champions are a team of superheroes that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team first appears in The Champions #1 (October 1975) and was created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Don Heck.
Publication history
Writer Tony Isabella developed the concept of a new team of superheroes and originally wanted the roster to consist of former X-Men Angel and Iceman, and the newly created Black Goliath. Black Goliath became unavailable when the character debuted in his own title, forcing Isabella to rethink the concept. Editor Len Wein insisted on at least five members, and Isabella added three established heroes: Russian spy Black Widow (team leader), the Greek god Hercules, and the supernatural avenger Ghost Rider. Captain Marvel, Power Man, and the Son of Satan were all considered for the final place on the roster before selecting Ghost Rider. Writer and publisher David Anthony Kraft is credited with naming the team, with the title originally intended to be published in Giant-Size format as Giant-Size Champions. Production difficulties, which caused a three-month delay between the first and second issues, prevented this. The title was eventually published as The Champions, and ran for seventeen issues from October 1975 to January 1978. In addition to Don Heck, artists who drew the series include George Tuska, Bob Hall, and John Byrne.
The team battled established Marvel villains such as Pluto; the Griffin; the Titanium Man and Crimson Dynamo; Warlord Kaa; the Stranger; Kamo Tharnn; and new foes such as Rampage and Swarm. Russian heroine Darkstar joins the team, and Black Goliath eventually guest stars in the title. The second-to-last issue continued a story involving a power struggle between villains Doctor Doom and Magneto from the title Super-Villain Team-Up. The last issue's storyline involving an attack by the Sentinels is referenced in the title Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, which explains in flashback how the team disbanded.
The Champions guest-starred in several other Marvel titles, including Ghost Rider #18; Iron Man Annual #4; The Avengers #163; and Godzilla #3.
The group briefly reunite in a X-Force/Champions Annual. In a humorous issue of the second volume of The Thing, the character Flatman â€" a member of the misfit team the Great Lakes Avengers â€" wins a poker tournament and renames his team the Great Lakes Champions, despite protests from Hercules. An issue of The Incredible Hulk features a flashback to a period when the Champions were still together. The team mistakenly attack the Hulk, with the delay almost killing a gravely ill Jennifer Walters.
Trademark dispute
Since 1987, Heroic Publishing has used the name "The Champions" for a role-playing game series which has been adapted into comic books. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has ruled that Marvel abandoned its trademark of the name and can no longer use "The Champions" as the name of a comic book series. A planned 2007 revival of the series was renamed The Order.
Collected editions
- Champions Classic vol. 1 collects The Champions #1-11, 208 pages, July 2006, ISBN 978-0785120971
- Champions Classic vol. 2 collects The Champions #12-17, Iron Man Annual #4, Avengers #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14 and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #17-18, 216 pages, January 2007, ISBN 978-0785120988
References
External links
- Series index
